Closer to a cinematic essay than a documentary, Ralph Steiner and Willard Van Dyke's 1939 The City—written by noted urban planner Lewis Mumford and made for the “World of Tomorrow” exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair in New York—offers a utopian view of how American cities might be transformed from bleak dehumanizing environments into pleasant living spaces. The City begins with a recreation of a pre-industrial small town community, before progressing into the Dickensian squalor of the then-contemporary industrialized urban setting, and closing with the possibility of building a clean and friendly city of tomorrow. Narrated by Morris Carnovsky, The City is heavier on gung-ho advocacy than actual details on how this idealized future might be achieved (who would pay the bill to raze the slums and start new construction?), but to its credit the film was ahead of its time in its lobbying for healthier environments. Unfortunately, The City's homogenous vision of tomorrow's cities is notable for its blatant lack of diversity (progressive notions only went so far in 1939). The reason for the documentary's release is as much (if not more) related to music than urban history, offering a newly recorded world premiere version of the original classic Aaron Copland score (replacing the old monaural soundtrack). DVD extras include a short conversation with filmmaker George Stoney about The City, and a featurette on Greenbelt, MD, which the film used as a model for a clean urban landscape. An interesting curio that combines a historical look at forward-thinking urban planning with a noted musical score from a legendary American composer, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
The City
(1939) 44 min. DVD: $19.99. Naxos of America. Volume 24, Issue 3
The City
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